If Jews or Christians are trying to explain to people outside the faith why we have the books that we do and why others did not make the cut, they will
probably not be satisfied with the answer, “Well, those are just the ones God wanted us to have.” We can recognize the work of the Holy Spirit in helping us
select these books, but we must also recognize the work and decisions of the rabbis and the Church leaders and the desire of both groups to support
orthodox or accepted theology.
I have posted an article written by Dr. Bob Dunston titled “How We Got the Bible.” Read that article and then use the following instructions to prepare your
final assignment. Please title your essay and answer all sets of questions under each of the three numbers. This is your only assignment this week, and it is
worth 100 points. Remember this is a short week, and this assignment is due on Friday.
- Focus on Tobit, a book that some suggested as being worthy of the canon. Answer the following questions in a good paragraph of 6 to 7 sentences for
each set of questions.
a. Why should that book have been included in the canon? What does the book have in its content and theology that would make it worthy of inclusion in the
canon? Be specific! Don’t just write that it sounds like the Bible!
b. Based on what you learned from the article you read regarding the formation of the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament) canon, why did this book not make it
into the canon? Do the rules seem to apply to this book? Why or why not? Be specific!
c. What do you think of the rules of canonization for the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament)? How do you think rabbis worked in conjunction with the Holy Spirit in
selecting these books? Make sure to analyze and evaluate the rules and why they are good or not good. - Focus on the Coptic Gospel of Thomas. This book has been of interest to scholars because it records un-interpreted parables and sayings of Jesus and
might be quite early. Answer the following questions in a good paragraph of 6 to 7 sentences for each set of questions.
a. Why should the book have been included in the canon? What does the book have in its content and theology that would make it worthy of inclusion in the
canon? Be specific! Don’t just write that it sounds like the Bible!
b. Based on what you learned from the article you read regarding the formation of the New Testament canon, why did this book not make it into the canon?
Do the rules seem to apply to this book? Why or why not? Be specific!
c. What do you think of the rules of canonization for the New Testament? How do you think the early church leaders worked in conjunction with the Spirit in
selecting these books? Make sure to analyze and evaluate the rules and why they are good or not good.
WARNING: The above section deals with the Coptic Gospel of Thomas and NOT the Infancy Gospel of Thomas! - Suppose a book was discovered that seemed to be a good candidate for inclusion in the New Testament. Answer the following questions in a good
paragraph of 5 to 6 sentences for each set of questions.
a. What criteria would you use to determine whether the book could be added or not? Why would you use those criteria? How would you convince others to
accept those criteria?
b. How would you propose to bring representatives from the various Christian groups together to decide whether or not to add the book to the canon? (Do
not answer this question in just one sentence. This is a complicated matter!) Could we even pull off such a meeting? Why or why not?
c. Would it be worthwhile to try to add another book to the canon? If so, why? If not, what makes the canon we have now sufficient?
